Sheet feeding apparatus



Nov. 4, 1947. c. WILLIAMS SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18. 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Did/. Mm

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 4, 194 7. L. c. WILLIAMS 2,430,093

SHEET FEEbING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1 8, 1944 g s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR. of mum HTTORNEY Nov. 4, 1 947. L c. WILLIAMS ,430,9

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Fild Nov. 18. 1944 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR' ii, 6. MM

HTTORNEY ing inwardly from and secured to side rails 22 forming extensions of frame Ill.

The stream of lapped sheets is advanced along feed board It with the leading sheet uppermost, and as each sheet arrives at the forward end of said feed board and in proximity to the printing press, indicated generally at 23, it is front registered against front stops 24 (Figs. 1 to 4). The latter are operated in synchronism with the feed of the sheets and the action of the press, as well understood in the art, so as to be engaged by the leading edge of each sheet upon its arrival at the forward end of the conveyor. Stops 24 are carried on a rock shaft 25 and preferably swing up and down through slots formed on the forward edge of a plate 23 secured at its opposite ends to blocks 27 which, in turn, are bolted to rails 22. After the sheet is front registered by stops 24, said sheet is side registered by a side registering device (not shown) in a manner well understood in the art, whereupon stops 24 are moved downwardly and the registered sheet is gripped along its front edge by grippers 28 mounted on an oscillating transfer mechanism 28 of the printing press and taken into the press for performance of the printing operations thereon in the usual manner.

Novel mechanism is provided for calipering each leading sheet of the stream during movement of the same toward the stops 24 and prior to engagement of the front edge thereof with said stops, and for effecting stopping of the feeder and tripping of the printing press in the event more than a single sheet or sheet thickness is present at the calipering point and at the time of the calipering operation. As herein shown, said sheet calipering mechanism, indicated generally at 33, is preferably constructed, mounted and operated as follows.

Arranged adjacent the front end of the conveyor, between tape roller 18 and plate 26, are two longitudinally spaced cross bars 3| bolted at their opposite ends to blocks 2! (Figs. 1 to 4). The sheets are guided over bars 3! by transversely spaced tongues (not shown) adjustably secured to the underside of feed board 16 and extending therefrom over tape roller [8 and bars 3i to plate 26. Resting on the tops of bars 31 is a bracket 32 (Figs. 5, 6 and '7) having a portion 33 projecting downwardly between said bars, and an upwardly projecting portion 34. Bracket 32 and parts carried thereby hereinafter described may be adjusted laterally of the conveyor along bars 3| in accordance with variations in width of the sheets handled in the feeder, and may be secured in any esired position of adjustment by a clamp screw 35 (Fig. 6). The latter extendsloosely through bracket 32 and has threaded engagement in a suitable opening in a, clamp block 35 engaged with the undersides of bars 3| Upon rotation of screw 35 in the proper direction, bracket 32 may be released from or clamped to bars 3i for adjustment and clamping purposes relative thereto.

Disposed between bars 3|, and preferably beneat-h the path of travel of the sheets, is a rotary sheet calipering member 31 (Figs. 5 and 6). This sheet calipering member 31 is preferably in the form of a roller undercut in its periphery at three equally spaced points, as indicated at 38 (Fig. 5), to provide three equally spaced, abbreviated sheet engaging surfaces 39 preferably curved concentric with the axis of rotation thereof. Calipering member 37 is journalled on a. ball bearing G0 (Fig. 6) having its outer race secured by a press fit in said calipering member, and its inner race secured by a press fit on the reduced end 4| of a bushing 42 which, in turn, is secured by a press fit in a suitable opening formed in the lower portion 33 of bracket 32. Calipering member 31, through the described mounting therefor, will thus move with bracket 32 when the latter is adjusted along bars 3| for different widths of sheets. Due to the formation of calipering member 31 as described, only the surfaces 39 thereof will engage the sheets, while the undercut portions 38 of said member will present no interference to the forwardly moving sheets.

The sheet calipering member 3! is normally disposed with an undercut portion 38 thereof in sheet calipering position as shown in Fig. 5, and is operated at a predetermined time during each cycle of operation of the feeder, and in a manner such that it is rotated only a third of a revolution of during each cycle and substantially at the same surface speed as the surface speed of forward travel of the sheets to move the following sheet engaging surface 39 through sheet calipering position and at sheet speed, and to dispose the next following undercut portion 38 in sheet calipering position. As herein shown, said operation of the sheet calipering member 31 is preferably accomplished in the following manner and by the following instrumentalities.

Disposed within the hub 43 of calipering member 31 is a driving disc M (Fig. 6) having secured therein a laterally projecting crank pin 45 which extends through an opening formed in a circular plate :36. The latter is secured, as by bolts 41, to the end of hub 33 to rotate calipering member 31 when disc 44 is rotated as hereinafter described. Plate it also serves to maintain disc 44 in driving relation with calipering member 37 in all positions of lateral adjustment of said member and bracket 32. Disc 44 is mounted for sliding movement on a transverse shaft 48 and is connected with the latter for rotation thereby, by a key 49 secured in said disc and slidably engaged in a keyway 56 formed in and extending longitudinally of said shaft. Shaft 48 extends approximately half the width of the conveyor through the bushing 42 and plate Q3, and is journalled at its opposite ends in suitable bearings in brackets 5| and 52 (Figs. 1 and 2) bolted to the undersides of bars 3|.

Fixed on the end of shaft 38 adjacent bracket 52 is a spur gear 53 (Fig. 2) which meshes with a slightly larger spur gear 54. The latter is fixed on a transverse shaft 55 having one end journalled in a suitable bearing in bracket 52 and extending therefrom to the opposite side of the conveyor and journalled at said side in a suitable bearing in a bracket 56 (Figs. 3, 4, 8 and 9) bolted to the undersides of bars 3!. Shaft 55 has fixed thereon adjacent bracket 56 a spur pinion 51 (Figs. 8 and 9) which meshes with a, spur gear 58 journalled on a stud 59 secured in bracket 56.

.Mounted for oscillating movement on the hub 33 of gear 58 is a pawl carrier'fil having fixed therein a pin 62 projecting laterally from opposite sides thereof. Pivoted on pin 62 at one side of pawl carrier 61 is a pawl 63 adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet 64 secured in any suitable manher on hub 60 of gear 58. Pawl 63 is yieldingly held in continuous engagement with ratchet; 64 by a torsion spring 65 surrounding pin 62 and having one end connected with said pawl and the opposite end connected with an adjusting nut 66 carried by said pin.

Pivoted on pin 62 at the opposite side of pawl carrier GI is one extremity of a connecting link 61 (Figs. 3 and e) the opposite extremity of which is pivotally connected at 68 with a lever 69 pivoted at 10 on the adjacent rail 22. Pivotally connected with lever 69 at H is one end of a connecting rod 12 that extends from said lever rearwardly of the conveyor and has its opposite end pivotally connected at T3 with an arm 14- fixed on a transverse shaft l5 journalled in suitable bearings in frame I0. Fixed on shaft E5 is a lever I6 having pivotally connected therewith at H one end of a cam strap 18 that extends rearwardly above and below a transverse cam shaft 19 and has journalled on the opposite end thereof a roller 80. The latter extends into a cam groove 8| formed in a box cam 82 secured to shaft 19 which is journalled in suitable bearings in frame I and is driven by any suitable source of power, as, for example, the printing press, to make one complete revolution for each cycle of operation of the feeder.

Th sheet calipering member 31, through the described driving connections therefor with ratchet 64, and through the described operating connections for said ratchet with cam 82, will thus be intermittently actuated and once only during each cycle of operation of the feeder, said cam and said connections being so proportioned that calipering member 3! at each actuation thereof will be rotated a third of a revolution or 120 and at substantially the same surface speed of rotation as the feed roller I3 and tape roller ll, to bring a sheet engaging surface 39 into and out of sheet calipering position at substantially the same surface speed as the surface speed of forward travel of the sheets. Ratchet 64 is held in operated position and against return rotation as pawl carrier BI is returned for pawl 63 to engage with the next tooth on said ratchet by a roller 83 (Figs. 8 and 9) engaged with the ratchet between two teeth thereon and journalled on a spring pressed bell crank 36 loosely mounted on a stud 85 secured in and projecting laterally from bracket 55. The spring for bell crank 84 is indicated at 80 and is mounted on a rod 87 having one end pivotally connected with said bell crank and the opposite end guided in a suitable opening formed in a stud 88 secured in bracket 53.

Cooperating with the sheet calipering member 31 and preferably disposed above the path of travel of the sheets, is a normally stationary caliper element 89 (Figs. and 6). This caliper element 89 may be of any suitable form and as herein shown is preferably in the form of a segment secured in any suitable manner to a pin 90 journalled in a suitable bearing in a lever 9| and projecting outwardly through opposit sides of said lever. Lever 9| is carried by bracket 32 for lateral adjustment therewith, and for this and other purposes said lever is pivotally mounted on a stud 92 secured in the upper portion 34 of said bracket. Segment 89 is normally disposed in the position thereof shown in Fig. 5, and engaged with a pin 93 by a light pull spring 94 having one end connected with said pin and the opposite end connected at 95 with said segment. Pin

' '6 93 is secured in and projects laterally from lever 9I.

Threaded through a suitable opening in a vertical extension 95 of lever 9! is an adjusting screw 91 (Fig. 5) engaging one side of a stud 98 secured in the upper portion 3a of bracket 32. Screw 91 is held in engagement with stud 98 by a push spring 99 engaging the opposite side of stud 98 and carried in a suitable socket formed in a vertical extension I00 of lever 9|. Rotation of screw 91 in opposite directions will caus lever 9I to move clockwise and counter-clockwise about its pivot 92, thereby lowering and raising caliper segment 89 which is so regulated that space equal to the thickness of a single sheet will be left between said segment and the calipering member '31 when the sheet engaging surfaces 39 of the latter are rotated into sheet calipering position. Screw 91 is held in adjusted positions by a lock nut IOI.

Secured in any suitable manner to pin adja cent the end thereof opposite that carrying segment 89 is a segmental-shaped finger I02, and loosely mounted on said pin adjacent said finger is a pendulum or abutment I03 formed with an arcuate surface I04 slightly eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of said pendulum (Figs. 5, 6 and 7). Pendulum I03 is connected with finger I02 by a, yielding connection in the form of a light pull spring I05 having one end connected with a pin I00 secured in said pendulum, and the opposite end connected with a pin I0I secured in said finger. Pin I06 is normally maintained in engagement with finger I02 by spring I05 so as to hold pendulum I03 in the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 7, and enable movement past the same of raising and lowering sheet feeder and printing press control means.

As herein shown said sheet feeder and printing press control means comprise a feeler or detent preferably in the form of a rod I08 (Figs. 5, 6 and '7) guided for vertical reciprocation toward and away from pendulum I03 in a suitable opening in the lower portion 33 of bracket 32 and pivotally connected at its lower end with an arm I09. The latter is keyed to a transverse rock shaft I 10 pro-- vided with a longitudinally extendin keyway III to enable lateral adjustment of arm I09 with bracket 32 without disturbing the connection for said arm with said shaft. Accordingly, the lower portion 33 of bracket 32 has bolted to one side thereof an angle plate II2 extending laterally therefrom beyond arm 09 and forwardly in front of said arm. Shaft I I0 extends through the lower portion 33 of bracket 32 and is journalled at its opposite ends in suitable bearings in brackets 5! and 52 (Fig. 2). Rocking motion of shaft H0, imparted thereto as presently described, results in rocking motion of arm I09 and up and down movement of feeler I08.

Shaft H0 is rocked by suitable mechanism which, as herein shown, comprises an arm II3 (Figs, 1, 2, 5 and 6) fixed on the end of said shaft adjacent bracket 5|, and having pivotally connected therewith at H4 one end of a connecting rod H5. The latter extends rearwardly of the conveyor and has its opposite end pivotally connected at I I6 with the arm I I I of a double armed lever H8 the other arm of which is indicated at II9 (Figs. 1 and 2). Lever H8 is fixed on a'shaft I20 journalled in a suitable bearing in the adjacent side rail 22. Pivotally connected at I2'I with arm H9 of lever H8 is one end of a connecting rod I22 the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at I 23 with the arm I24 of a double arm lever I25 the other arm of which is indicated at I26. Lever I25 is pivotally mounted at I21 on the adjacent frame I0. Pivotally connected at I28 with, arm I26 of lever I25 is one end of a camstrap I29 which extends rearwardly above and below cam shaft 19 and has journalled on the opposite end thereof a roller I30 engaged with a cam I 3| fixed on said shaft. Roller I 30 is biased toward cam ISI by a spring pressed rod I32 having one end pivotally connected at I33 with the arm I26 of lever I25, and the opposite end guided in a'suitable opening formed in a stud I34 secured to the adjacent frame member I0. The spring I35 for rod I32 is mounted thereon between stud I34 and a collar I36 adjustably secured to said rod. Feeler I08 will thus be raised by spring I35 and lowered by cam I3I once during each cycle of operation of the feeder, said raising movement of feeler I08 being so timed with respect to the rotation of calipering member 31 that it occurs after said calipering member has rotated a third of a revolution. Further, when feeler I08 is raised and lowered as aforesaid, rocking motion will be imparted by lever I I8 to shaft I20 which is connected with well-known mechanism (not shown) for stopping the feeder and tripping the printing press in the event rocking movement of said shaft is interrupted as hereinafter described.

Since the sheet calipering mechanism 30 is arranged for operation at the front of the conveyor and on sheets that are fed in lapped relation, there will be at certain times more than a single sheet present between the calipering member 31 and segment 89 as, for example, when a sheet is being carried into the press by grippers 28 and a succeeding sheet is approaching the front stops 24. The timing of the feeder, press, and sheet calipering mechanism is such, however, that the sheet calipering member 31 is rotated only when one sheet should normally be present for the calipering operation.

Assuming now that the tail of the sheet being carried into press has passed the sheet calipering position, and that the leading edge of a succeeding sheet has moved slightly beyond sheet calipering position, the calipering member 31 is then rotated a third of a revolution or 120 by the described operating mechanism therefor, and substantially at the same surface speed as the surface speed of forward travel of the sheet, whereupon the following sheet engaging surface 39 of said member is moved at sheet speed through and beyond the sheet calipering position and the next following undercut portion 38 of member 31 is moved into position beneath segment 89. Upon rotation of calipering member 31 as aforesaid, the sheet is engaged by the surface 39 of said member and lifted slightly toward the segment 89.

If, during rotation of calipering member 31, and upon engagement of surface 39 with the sheet, there is no additional sheet or sheet thickness present, the segment 09 and the pendulum I03 will remain stationary in the positions thereof shown in Figs. and 6. In such event, the feeler I08 is permitted to move upwardly past pendulum I03 as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 7, accompanied by rocking movement of shaft I20, and normal feeding, conveying and printing of the sheets in succession thus proceeds without interruption.

Assuming now that two sheets are moving toward stops 24 at a time when normally one sheet only should be present for the calipering operation. In this event, and with. an extra sheet thickness at the calipering position, the segment 89 will, upon rotation of calipering member 31 and engagement of surface 39 thereof with the double or excess sheet thickness, be rotated clockwise as viewed in Fig, 5, through frictional contact of the forwardly moving sheets therewith. Rotation of segment 89 causes pin 90 to rotate finger I02 clockwise and thus swing pendulum I03 through spring I05 in the same direction, whereupon the eccentric arcuate surface I04 of said pendulum will move downwardly toward feeler I08 until it engages and is wedged against the upper end of said feeler as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 7,. Feeler- I08 will thus be prevented through such engagement from moving upwardly, and consequently, roller I30 cannot follow the low part of cam I3I to rock shaft I20. Failure of shaft I20 to rock results in actuation of the feeder stopping and press tripping mechanisms (not shown) which are connected with said shaft, and stopping of the feeder and tripping of the press. When the arcuate surface I04 of pendulum I03 engages feeler I08, further rotation of said pendulum is prevented, the segment 89 and finger I02, however, will continue to rotate due to the spring connection I05 between said pendulum and said finger, until the surface 39 of calipering member 31 has rotated beyond sheet calipering position. Calipersegment 89 when once actuated is held in actuated position to prevent resetting of the same and the pendulum I03 until the feeder has been stopped and the press has been tripped. For this purpose, lever III has pivotally mounted thereon at I3! an overbalanced pawl or latch I38 (Fig. 5) adapted, when segment 89 is rotated, to automatically engage in one or the other of two teeth I39 formed in the periphcry of said segment.

Upon stopping of the feeder and tripping of the printing press, the leading sheet and the excess sheet or sheets are removed rom the conveyor, thereupon pawl I38 is manually disengaged from segment 30, and the latter, the finger I02, and the pendulum I03 are returned to their original positions shown in Fig. 5 by the contractin action of springs 94 and I05, and fully reset for the next operation. The feeder and printing press are then again started by suitable means for this purpose, and the feeding, conveying, calipering, registering and printing operations proceed normally in connection with successive sheets of the stream.

Lever 9I is provided with a handle I40 so that said lever may be manually swung clockwise (Fig. 5) about its pivotal axis, and thereby raise segment 89 and pendulum I03 to enable removal of the excess sheet or sheets from the conveyor, and resetting of said segment and pendulum, in the event the feeder upon actuation of the calipering mechanism, should, for some reason, stop only after the next following surface 39 of calipering member 3'! has moved into calipering position, or when ieeler I 08 is applying an upward thrust against pendulum I03. The eccentric arcuate surface I04 of pendulum I 03 eliminates all upward lost motion of feeler I08 in all positions of vertical adjustment of segment 89 relative to calipering member 31 for sheets of various thicknesses handled in the feeder. When pendulum I03 is rotated into the path of upward movement of feeler I08, the arcuate surface I04 of said pendulum will gradually move downwardly toward said feeler until the pendulum is stopped by the latter as hereinbefore described.

There is thus provided asheet calipering mechanism wherein calipering of successive forwardly moving sheets is effected by a rotary caliperin member having a plurality of equally spaced sheet engaging surfaces on the periphery thereof which are normally disposed out of calipering position and rotated one after another into calipering position at predetermined intervals to caliper the successive sheets. This has the advantage in that it enables provision of a caliper ing mechanism wherein none of the parts thereof are in motion during a major portion of each feeding cycle, and certain of said parts only are in motion for a small fraction of each feeding cycle, thereby materially decreasing wear of said mechanism with the result that accurate caliper.- ing of sheets is assured for an indefinite period. Additionally, the intermittent and partial rotation of the sheet calipering member simplifies the construction and operation of the sheet calipering mechanism and enables the use of simple and inexpensive driving and control means therefor.

While the present invention is herein described and illustrated in connection with sheets that are advanced in lapped relation toward a printing press or other sheet fed machine, it is equally adaptable for embodiment in sheet feeders wherein the sheets are advanced singly one after another in spaced relation to a printing press or other machine, or in the combination type of sheet feeder which is capable of feeding the sheets either in lapped relation or in spaced relation.

Further, the sheet calipering mechanism herein illustrated and described may be arranged for operation at any desired point on the conveyor between the front and rear ends thereof, and is capable of operation on plural sheets, as for example, a predetermined number of lapped sheets, as distinguished from a single sheet.

It is therefore to be expressl understood that the term predetermined number as hereinafter employed is intended to apply to a, single sheet or sheet thickness as well as plural sheets or a plural sheet thickness, and that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment or location thereof herein illustrated and described or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sheet feeder for feeding sheets toward a machine to be fed, means for calipering the sheets durin forward movement thereof comprising a rotary sheet calipering member having a plurality of sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced about the periphery thereof and normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, means for intermittently rotating said sheet calipering member to move the sheet engagin surfaces thereof successively through sheet calipering position and into engagement with successive sheets, and means responsive to the rotation of said sheet calipering member for interrupting the feed of sheets when more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is present at the sheet calipering position and engaged by any one of said sheet engaging surfaces.

2. In apparatus of the character described having means for advancing sheets in succession toward a machine to be fed, means for calipering the successive sheets during advancing movement thereof comprising a rotary sheet calipering member having a plurality of sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced about the periphery thereof and normally disposed out of sheet cal- 1O ipering position, means for rotating said sheet calipering member intermittently and at a speed substantially equal to the surface speed of the advancing sheets whereby the sheet engaging surfaces thereof are moved successively through sheet calipering position and into engagement with successive sheets at sheet speed, and means responsive to the rotation of said sheet calipering member for interrupting the advance of the sheets when more than a predetermined number of sheets is present at the sheet calipering position and engaged by any one of said sheet engaging surfaces.

3. In sheet feedin apparatus for feeding sheets one after another in timed relation toward a machine to be fed, means for calipering the successive sheets during forward movement thereof comprising a rotary sheet calipering member having a sheet engaging surface normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, means for rotating said sheet calipering member at a predetermined interval a portion of a revolution only to move the sheet engaging surface thereof through sheet calipering position and into engagement with a sheet, and means controlled by said sheet calipering member for interrupting the feed of sheets when more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is present at the sheet calipering position and engaged by said sheet engaging surface.

4. In apparatus of the character described having means for advancing sheets one after another in timed relation toward a machine to be fed, means for .calipering the successive sheets during advancing movement thereof comprising a rotary sheet calipering member having a plurality of sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced about the periphery thereof and normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, means for rotating said sheet calipering member at predetermined intervals a portion of a revolution only and at a speed substantially equal to the surface speed of the advancing sheets whereby the sheet engaging surfaces thereof are moved successively through sheet calipering position and into engagement with successive sheets at sheet speed, and means controlled by said sheet calipering member for interrupting the feed of sheets when more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is present at the sheet calipering position and engaged by any one of said sheet engaging surfaces.

5. In a sheet calipering mechanism for sheet feeders, a normally stationary caliper element, a normally stationary rotary sheet calipering member spaced from and cooperating with said caliper element to effect actuation thereof only in the event more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is passed between the same and said sheet calipering member, said sheet calipering member having a plurality of sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced about the periphery thereof and normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, and means for rotating said sheet calipering member at predetermined intervals a mg memben-saidsheet calipering member having a plurality of sheet engaging "surfaces equally spaced aboutthe periphery thereof and normally disposedout of sheet caliperin'g" position; and means for rotating said sheet calipering memher at predetermined intervals '2. portion of a revolution only and at a speedsubstantially equal to the surface speed of the passing sheets whereby one only of the sheet engaging surfaces thereof'is moved through sheet calipering position andisubstantia'lly' at sheet speed upon each operation of saidmember;

7. In a sheet calipering mechanism for sheet feedersa normally stationary caliper element, a rotarysheet 'caliperihg member spaced'from and cooperating with said caliper element to effect actuation thereof in the event'more than a predetermined number of sheets'at a time is' passed between the same and said sheet 'calipering member, said sheet calipering member'having a plu rality of sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced" about the periphery thereof and normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, and means including a pawl and ratchet'for rotating said sheet calipering member at'predetermined inter: vals a portion of a revolution only and at a speed substantially equal to the surface speed of the passing sheets whereby one only of the 'sheet'engaging surfaces thereof is moved'through sheet calipering position and at sheet speed for each feeding cycle.

8; A sheet callpering mechanism for sheet feeders, comprising a normally stationary caliper element, a normally stationary rotary sheet c'alipering member spacedfrom and cooperating with said calipering element to elfect actuation thereof only in the event more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is passed between the same and, said sheet calipering member, said sheet calipering member having three sheet engaging surfaces equally spaced about the periphery'thereof and normally disposed out of sheet calipering position, and means for rotating said sheet calipering member at predetermined intervals a'third of a revolution only and at a speed substantially equal to the surface speed of the passing sheetswhereby one only of the sheetengaging surfaces thereof 'is moved throughsheet calipering position "and at sheet speed for each feeding cycle. r

9. In mechanism of the character described, a normally stationary pivotally mounted caliper segment provided with at least onetooth inthe periphery thereof, a driven member spaced from and cooperating with said segment to effect rotation of the latter in the event more than a predetermined number of sheets at a time is passed between the same and said driven member, and a pawl movable into engagement with said tooth upon rotation of said segment to hold the latter in actuated position. Y

10. In combination, a normally stationary ro tatably mounted caliper element, a driven member spaced from and cooperatingwithsaid 'cali-' driven member, 3, raising and lowering sheet feeding control member, means for controlling the actuation of said sheet feeding control member comprising a rotatable element having anarcuate surface eccentric with the axis of rotation thereof and normally removed from the path of movement of the she'et'feeding control member, and means connecting said last named element with said caliper element forrotation by the lat ter to dispose the arcuatesurface'thereof into the path of movement of the'sheet'feeding control mem'ber and'thereby stop raising movement thereof.

11. In apparatus of the class described for feeding sheets one after another intimed relation toward a, machine to befed, a sheet caliper member'having normally stationary sheet engaging surfaces spaced apart the periphery thereof and movable one after another into engagement with successive sheets, means operable in timed relation' with the feed of the sheets for imparting a rotary step-by-step 'movement to said member to move the sheet engaging surfaces thereof successively into sheet calipering position, and a normally stationary caliper element actuated by said member only when anundesired number of sheets at a time is passed between said member and said element. 7

12. In apparatus of the class described, a sheet caliper member having'sheet engaging surfaces on the periphery thereof, means for imparting a rotary step-by-step movement to said member, a caliper element actuated by said member when an un'desired number of sheets at one time is passed between said member and element, a controlling member, 'means' yieldingly connecting said controllingmember'to said element, and a feeler adapted to engage said controlling member when said undesired number ofsheets' is passed between said caliper m'ember'and element.

I LEO c. 'wILLmMs 7 REFERENCES o 'rnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number ,Naine Date 7 1,635,604 Broadmeyer July 12 1927 1,664,057 7 V Broadmeyer ManZTZ, 1928 962,440 La Batt June 28, 1910 1443,193 Phelps Jan. 23, 19.23 953,053 Heldman Aug. 23, 1910 2,243,649 Pearson May 27, 1941 2,287,140 Schneider et a1 June 23, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number f Country fDate 337,699 France Feb. 27,1994 

